Barça’s glorious comeback in Lisbon has already entered Champions League folklore. Few teams in the world are capable of overcoming a two-goal deficit in the final quarter of an hour and then winning 4-5. The victory also came with the mathematical confirmation of a place in the top eight of the Champions League group stage. This means that you do not have to play the two play-off games to get to the round of 16, against which the teams placed ninth to twenty-fourth in the table compete.
However, to get a clearer picture of the Blaugranes’ situation, one had to wait until the remaining seven matches of the matchday were completed, and now there are even more reasons to praise the performances of Hansi Flick’s side so far. Barça is in clear second place with 18 pointsjust three points behind Liverpool, who have won all their games and top the table. Arsenal and Inter Milan are two points behind the Blaugranes on 16 points. In this new Champions League format with a table of 36 teams, progressing as one of the top eight teams is very important, but the position in which you finish the league phase is also very important when it comes to the Knockout phase is over.
The key is to finish in the top two
Let’s not forget that The Blaugranes have two weeks without midweek games in Februarysince the Champions League round of 16 playoffs take place on November 12th. and 18.19. to be held this month. So the focus can be on LaLiga. A place in the top 8 also means that Barça will do so play the second leg of the round of 16 at home.
However, there is still a lot to do in Europe at this stage of the league Next week’s game against Atalanta is more important than it seems at first glance. The draw format has also changed and it is crucial to finish as high as possible in the league phase table. Should Barça confirm second place (or first place with a win and a loss against Liverpool), They would avoid meeting each other Liverpool until a possible finale.
Once the last 16 play-offs are completed, the eight teams that have already advanced will be divided into four groups, with two in each group. Should they finish first and second, Liverpool and Barça would be placed in the same pot – with one allocated to the left side of the draw and the other to the right. The knockout stage draw is the final draw of the competition, meaning each team’s possible route to the final is determined.
Of course, this is the Champions League and every opponent is capable of progressing to the next round, and the idea of denying certain teams a place in the final is more of a pipe dream, but every little detail can make the difference . What is certain is that Barça’s great Champions League performance this season means any concerns about qualifying for the next round have been put to rest and thoughts can turn to the future of the competition.
